Advocate editorial board opinion: Food inspires us all in some way

One thing all of us enjoy is eating. When we eat, we do it at home, in a restaurant or sidewalk cafe, in a fast-food place, at our desk, while walking, while driving, while traveling, in a different city, in a different country. The combinations are unlimited.

Much of what we just said about food - the where of the subject - is the kind of thinking author Elizabeth Gilbert talks about when growing an appetite for creativity.

The "what" of food is the kind, such as Mexican, Tex-Mex, Czech, seafood, barbecue, holiday, birthday and more. The idea here is for you to dig in and get creative.

Gilbert, who wrote the book, "Eat, Pray, Love," will speak at the Victoria College Lyceum on March 30.

But in the interim, as a way to involve the community, the Advocate has partnered with the college to present a contest that involves food. The top three winners will receive an autographed copy of Gilbert's book. Also, winners receive a ticket to the lecture, recognition at the lecture and recognition in the Advocate.

"We wanted to give the entire community an opportunity to not only participate in Gilbert's visit, but provide a universal way that everyone can relate to the content. . We were looking for a good way to draw everyone into the experience by highlighting a universal common denominator. In this case: food," said Katy Long, Victoria College writer and photographer in Marketing & Communications.

This is how it works. Take a photo of the food that has had some pronounced effect on you - tell how the food has inspired you with the "who, what, why, where and how" of it. Think of your five senses and how that food affected them.

Submit your photo online at www.victoriaadvocate.com on the home page where near the bottom it says, "Your Photos" and click on "add your photos." Fill in the blanks on the submit photo page, choosing the "Eat, Pray, Love" category in the drop-down list. You write the text of your experience in the caption box, and click the blue submit box once you have uploaded your photo and completed the information.

An Advocate team will judge the photos, and winners will be announced after the deadline, March 11.

We encourage you to participate and tell us how food (the who, why, where, what and how of it) inspires you. Bon appetite.

This editorial reflects the views of the Victoria Advocate's editorial board.